Julien Brechet has quickly climbed to the top tier of not just the Gigondas quality ladder but that of the whole Rhône Valley. JOSH RAYNOLDS
This estate has been brought up to the pinnacle of Gigondas, and the Southern Rhône, by the talent and drive of the Brechet family, namely the young Julien Brechet, and consultant Philippe Cambie. Covering roughly 26 hectares, the estate produces three Gigondas cuvees: a traditional cuvee, La Colline and the Le Lieu Dit. The two special cuvees include the La Colline and the Le Lieu Dit, and these are individual, singular wines. The most elegant, fine and ethereal (the Rayas of Gigondas?) is the Le Lieu Dit and this cuvee comes from a sandy parcel of old vines planted just beside the estate. It’s primarily Grenache and aged all in 228- and 600-liter barrels. A deeper, richer, more blockbuster-styled wine, the La Colline comes from a tiny portion of the La Colline vineyard (which is a larger parcel of rocky limestone soils) and is 100% Grenache that’s aged in new and once used 600-liter barrels. Don’t miss these incredible wines! JEB DUNNUCK
Under the ownership of Julien Brechet, who has divided the estate into smaller and smaller parcels to learn about the various terroirs and grape varieties, this estate has emerged as one of the appellation's shining stars. "We're working on extracting less and aging longer in older barrels," said Brechet, aiming to make wines that are "less impressive, more expressive." WINE ADVOCATE
Julien Brechet arrived at Domaine des Bosquets in 2006. Since then, Brechet has established his family’s domaine as one of the elite producers not just of Gigondas but of the Rhône Valley. Syrah plays a significant role here, as does Mourvèdre. Both varieties are showcased as stand-alone grapes in three distinct bottlings, all of which are consistently superb. But Grenache is still the focus here. Brechet is proving to be a master craftsman of the variety, especially in recent vintages. The upcoming 2021s are shaping up to be among the top wines of the vintage for the appellation. Brechet is not afraid to experiment and works with varying shapes and sizes of oak casks and clay amphoras. These are extroverted wines that make a statement, but I never find them overbearing in any sense. JOSH RAYNOLDS
